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Toyota Suspends Sales of Yaris Model in Thailand over Safety Test Issue
Toyota, the Japanese carmaker, has announced that it has suspended sales and deliveries of its Yaris Ativ model in Thailand, following a safety test issue involving its affiliate Daihatsu.
The issue was related to a part of the door that was changed for the purpose of side-collision safety testing, which may have compromised the integrity of the vehicle.
Toyota’s CEO for the Asia region, Masahiko Maeda, said that the problem may have been caused by pressure during the development of the Ativ model, which is relatively large for a small car. He apologized for the inconvenience and assured customers that the vehicles they are using are safe. He also said that Toyota is working with the Thai government to resume sales as soon as possible.
The Yaris Ativ is a popular model in Thailand, where Toyota produced about 659,000 vehicles last year. The safety test issue affects some 88,000 small cars, most of which are Ativs. Toyota and Daihatsu said they are investigating how and why the part of the door was changed for the testing.
Approximately 76,000 of those vehicles, according to Daihatsu, were Yaris Ativs, mostly headed for Thailand, Mexico, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman make up the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Yaris is one of Toyota’s best-selling models in Thailand, where it competes with other subcompact cars such as the Honda Jazz and the Suzuki Swift. The model was launched in Thailand in 2006 and has undergone several facelifts and upgrades since then. The latest version of the Yaris was introduced in October 2020 with a new design, features and engine options.
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